Stay Strapped.

Ren was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected addition to their group.

'The blonde kid from before? He had just been ranting about how he hated Kamoshida. Now, he was also dragged into this world with us. Is that a coincidence? Or had Igor brought him here too?' Ren frowned as he approached the confused Ryuji.

'How the hell am I supposed to put up a good play when I don't even have the script.' Ren complained mentally before putting on a friendly smile and giving the confused boy a military salute.

"Congratulations, you have been recruited."

Ryuji's expression wavered between bewilderment and curiosity as he asked. 

"Recruited? What happened to the school? And the storm? And your outfit? Why do you look so weird?" Surprisingly, he wasn't freaking out about the sudden change of scenery. If anything, he was just very confused.

Looking down, he noticed that his uniform had become the strange outfit he acquired when he awoke his persona. Looking at Shiho, he noticed that she, too, had changed from her uniform.

"Honestly? I don't really know what's going on either. General consensus at the moment is that we are in Kamoshida's mind.

As for the outfit… Think of it as a cool perk of the job. I'm sure you'll get one too if you spend enough time here. We might have to throw you into a life-or-death situation, though." Ren said before tilting his head. "Well, maybe not. I am not really sure of the full requirements of awakening a persona."

"Inside Kamoshida's mind?" Ryuji echoed, his eyes fixed on the wrecked castle.

Ren nodded his head at the question.

"How is any of this possible?" Ann chimed in, equally baffled by the surroundings and what she had just heard.

Ren and Shiho exchanged a glance with each other, but they could only offer shrugs in response.

Ren surveyed the pair before him, their faces etched with a mixture of bewilderment and resolve. He took a deep breath before laying out the stark reality of their situation.

"I think confronting him here is our only real shot. Even with what he did to me in the real world, all he got was a temporary suspension." Ren began, his gaze steady.

 "We need to go further into this place to actually understand what we're dealing with. It's not safe with just the two of us, though. It's a big ask, especially given all the unknowns. But we need help. It's too risky to ask more people for help without fully understanding this world... And since you both are now aware of... all this," he gestured broadly to the world around them, "you're the only ones we can turn to."

"This is all a little too…" Ann looked around with hesitance before her eyes landed on Shiho, who looked at her with pleading eyes.

Her expression turned conflicted as she let out a soft curse before saying.

"Screw it, I'm in."

Ryuji's confusion shifted to resolve after hearing Ann. 

"If joining you means standing up to Kamoshida, then I'm all in."

Ren quietly marveled at the swift willingness of Ann and Ryuji to join as he thought.

'They are taking this whole new world thing quite calmly… Aren't they even the slightest bit cautious with all the weirdness going on?'

Shiho had been the only one who had actually shown any sign of wariness when they had been brought to this world. But to be fair, her mental state was quite shaky at the time. In any case, Ren wasn't going to complain about it. The less troublesome it was, the better.

"Well, then. Welcome to the team. We should head back for now and do some more preparations. We should probably return here in two more days, on Friday, after school. Any time we spend in this world also passes in the real world, so we have to make sure we have an excuse ready to not draw too much attention. I'll also see if I can gather any more information about this world in the meantime."

Heading back from where they came from, the world around them began to shift, the chaotic landscape of the Palace beginning to blur and dissolve. Leaving them back in the alley they had entered through.

The group looked around with surprise.

"Wow… the school's back to normal." Ryuji remarked with awe.

After exchanging phone numbers, the group returned back to class. Which, after going to the other world, felt quite dull. In the midst of a particularly uneventful lesson, Ryuji started a group chat.

[Ryuji] Yo, we should totally get weapons for that world! I know a great place that sells model guns. They aren't real, but they might bluff our way through.

[Shiho] I'm not sure the people there can be reasoned with… They are weird… Last time, we came across some people dressed as knights, and they attacked the moment they saw us.

Ren glanced at the messages, then out the window, lost in thought.

'A place between dream and reality. Between mind and matter…'

The words Igor had said to him when he first entered the velvet room had stuck with him. It was one of the few clues he had as to what was going on in the world. And, it wasn't much to work with.

'A persona…I am thou, and thou art I…'

The purpose given to him by Igor was to put on a show for him. Igor wasn't going to hand him the answers on a platter. It was all part of the play for him. So, the best he could do was try to figure stuff out on his own.

'If that world reflects Kamoshida's mind, Ryuji's idea might work...'

He quickly typed a response.

[Ren] I actually think Ryuji's idea is worth a try. Let's check out the shop after school. Worst case, we lose some money. Best case, it gives Ryuji and Ann a fighting chance before awakening their personas.

[Ryuji] What's a persona?

[Ren] I'll get back to you on that tomorrow. I'm not too sure myself. If anyone else has any other ideas, drop them in the chat. They might turn out to be more useful than we think. Remember, anything goes at the moment. Until we understand the other world, we have to keep an open mind.

[Ann] Should we also bring food there?

[Ryuji] ….

[Shiho] …

[Ann] Oh! And I also have pepper spray! Could that work on the people there?

[Shiho] Maybe?

[Ren] ¯\_(^-^)_/¯

—- —- —

Once class concluded, the group made their way to Shibuya, Central Street, absorbed in their new mission.

Ryuji, who was walking alongside Ann, couldn't hide his curiosity.

"I thought you were dating Kamoshida, were you not?" he asked.

"No! That was all a lie. I had to... or else he would have..." Ann's response was swift and sharp at the beginning. Though her voice soon faded, the unspoken words hanging heavily in the air.

"He would have kicked me off the team…" Shiho cast her eyes to the floor with shame as she spoke. 

Ryuji, sensing the gravity, fell silent, regretting his question.

"Ah… so it was like that…"Ryuji muttered as he looked away, slightly uncomfortable.

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, Ren broke the tension by saying.

"So, about the guns… I'm thinking of getting a classic pistol. Simple, but effective. What about you guys?"

Ryuji, shaken from the somber moment, perked up. 

"I'm all for a shotgun! Close-range power, right? Let's see those knights try something then!"

"I don't know much about guns... Maybe I'll just pick one that looks good. We don't even know if they'll work."Ann, less certain, chimed in.

"At least I'm not suggesting bringing snacks." Ryuji scoffed at her indecision. 

"Actually, snacks don't sound like a bad idea," Shiho remarked, siding with Ann.

Ren, spotting the store, intervened. "Here we are, 'Untouchable Airsofts.'"

The store was tucked behind in one of the less traveled areas of Shibuya's central street. In a place, you would have to go out of your way to find it. However, it made sense that an airsoft store wouldn't be as popular in a country with such strict gun regulations.

Upon entering, the group was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged man, his appearance distinct with short gray hair, piercing gray eyes, and a hint of stubble lining his jaw. His look was completed with sideburns, earrings, and a noticeable tattoo of a gray gecko on the left side of his neck. Engrossed in a newspaper, he glanced briefly at the new arrivals before his attention returned to the printed words.

"Hi, I'm looking for an IMI Desert Eagle. Got one in stock?" Ren asked, walking up to the counter.

The man, setting aside his paper, nodded. 

"Yeah, got a new shipment last week. Anything else you need?"

Ren glanced back at his friends, browsing like kids in a candy store. 

"We're starting an airsoft club. They're new, so some beginner recommendations would be great," he said, beckoning them over.

The man behind the counter let out a sigh before standing up. 

"Alright, let me bring the beginner section. Just sit tight. I'll bring them out."

"Wow, dude. You're an expert at this! We gotta go for some fancy shit, right? I want 'em to shine." Ryuji said with excitement as he rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Wouldn't I look cool with one of those? Like from those old mafia movies."Ann asked, pointing at the rifles.

"Do you think they would sell me a sniper? My persona is mainly used for support, so I should probably stay near the back." Shiho asked while looking at some of the magazines on the table.

"A sniper? Dude you would have to be wayyyyy back in order to use one of them."Ryuji said before pointing to another shotgun. "You gotta get yourself one of these ones."

Their animated discussion about the various firearms filled the store, prompting a chuckle from Ren.

'They're treating this like a school trip,' he thought, slightly amused.

Shaking his head, he decided to play along, fueling the upbeat atmosphere. After all, this was just the beginning of their journey. It would be uphill from here. So why not savor the lighter moments?

In a playful tone, he threw out a suggestion.

 "How about we name our group the Persona Pals?" The absurdity of the name set off a wave of laughter among them, their amusement echoing through the store. Yet, inwardly, Ren's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. 

'The first act has started…' He mused. For the first time since arriving to this world, the realization that his life had become part of a grander scheme for someone else's entertainment stirred a subtle sense of irritation within him. 

~Author's note~

This is the second version of the chapter. Boy, I am glad I decided to finish this one instead of going with the first. I really didn't like how that one had turned out. Also, looking back on all of the people whenever they entered the Palaces for the first time, I noticed just how absolutely nonchalant everyone was.

Ryuji, Ann, and Ren would walk into a castle instead of a school, and it was just a regular Tuesday for them. They just kinda went, huh, that's weird. They would see a floating bank in the sky and go, "Well gosh dittly darn, that's kinda weird, but you know what. That's just how it be sometimes."

Anyways, I'll see you all tomorrrow. Posting this one early but don't forget to drop your powerstones when they refresh and drop some comments.